Cranston Street Armory Reuse Plan

The Cranston Street Armory Reuse Plan is an ongoing process led by the State of Rhode Island and a Steering Committee made up of community members and other stakeholders. The goal of the study is to develop a roadmap for the State to work with private partners to return the historic armory to active use.

The State is currently seeking proposals from businesses and organizations interested in utilizing the Cranston Street Armory. Read the Request For Information here.
Proposals are due Friday, January 25, 2019 at 11am.

Dexter Park was used as a military training ground even before the Cranston Street Armory was built. In the Civil War, the first African-American heavy artillery unit, the 14th Regiment Rhode Island, was trained at the Dexter Training Grounds. In fact, Rhode Island led the charge to allow black men to fight for the Union in the Civil War. This was the continuation of a legacy of African-American military service in Rhode Island, which began with the nation’s first mixed-race military regiment in the Revolutionary War, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. This regiment participated in the Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, which led to British surrender and the end of the war.